Hit by penalties and a near possibility of eviction of their families, hundreds of CAPF personnel — deployed in hard duty areas hit by Naxalism, terrorism and insurgency — have decided to petition the Supreme Court and the Union home ministry for succour, officials said on Friday.
The jawans and officers are worried for their families and finances with regard to an "adverse order" issued against them regarding the general pool residential accommodation (GPRA) houses provided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in metro cities of Delhi, Kolkata and Chandigarh to paramilitary forces personnel for keeping their families.
"Till 2017, the personnel were allowed to keep their families and children in these cities under the GPRA scheme for as long as they were deployed in hard areas. That year, a new rule was brought by the housing ministry restricting allotment of these houses to these jawans and officers for only 3 years, jeopardising the education of their children and medical issues of their family members," a senior CAPF pointed out.
Ninety-five per cent of these personnel stayed in Delhi, where the MoHUA has said there was "an acute shortage of residential quarters and a long waiting list of eligible officers seeking accommodation."
A second officer said a number of the affected jawans and officers petitioned the Delhi High Court in 2020, and the court initially stayed the MoHUA order.
In July this year, the HC issued its final order and refused the personnel any relief, and they are now being served monetary penalty notices by the ministry for "overstaying" and for "eviction".
All this is happening when we are still deployed in hard areas, tackling major internal security challenges that the country is facing. However, the MoHUA, in May this year, strangely granted a one-time exemption from this clause (Rule 43) to CPWD employees serving in border areas, a senior officer said.
The CAPF jawans and officers said this was a "step-motherly" treatment to them as they serve the country in high-risk and hard internal security duty areas. A senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officer said the MHA was "in cognisance of the issue and has held meetings with the MoHUA." "A full solution regarding waiver of the penalty and extension of the GPRA scheme, like what was till the year 2017, is in works," he stated.
The officer said the MHA had written a communication on December 2 to all CAPFs asking them to inform them about all such cases so that a "corrective" action can be taken.
As per official data, about 500 personnel, including those in the constabulary ranks, from various central armed police forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB are affected by this order.
"Some of the personnel have written to the MHA and MoHUA. A group of them are now planning to file a special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, pleading before it about the injustice being meted out to them," an officer said.
The job of the CAPF troops is "distinct”, and the nature of their service is full of risks and stress as they battle in areas marred by extreme climate harshness, remoteness from the mainland, and lack of communication and medical facilities, like in Naxal violence-hit areas, he said.
Union home secretary Govind Mohan, a few months back, wrote a letter to his MoHUA counterpart saying these developments have "led to a feeling of distress among the affected CAPF personnel, which is also affecting their morale." The home secretary also urged the housing ministry to "waive" the penalty amount, imposed retrospectively on the personnel, as a one-time "compassionate" relief and in the interest of their family and children.
Mohan also asked the ministry to allow the personnel to retain their houses till March 2026 so that the studies of their children are not affected.
"The government has always said that we go about doing our job without worrying for our families, as it will take care of our kin and children. We wish that this is done in letter and spirit so that the CAPF men and women doing some highly arduous jobs for the country's security do their job in a focused and stress-free manner," an officer said.
Follow us
